THE ROTARY CLUB OF NUMURKAH Inc.

ANNUAL REPORT

And

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR

THE ROTARY YEAR 2017 - 2018

Changeover

Monday

25th June 2018

PROGRAM

Changeover Dinner

25th June 2018

7.00pm Call to Order Rtn. Jeff Buzza

Welcome Pres. Jacque Phillips OAM

Chairman Frank Malcolm

Rotary Grace All Rotarians

Loyal Toast Rtn. Jennifer Rodger

Toast to Rotary Rtn. Lou Hamon OAM

Response DGE Malcolm Kerr

Toast to Rotarian Partners Mark McNamara

Presentation Annual Report 2017-18 Pres. Jacque Phillips OAM

Heads and Tails Rtn. Squish Davies

Rtn. Grant Deppler

Sergeant Session Rtn. Jeff Buzza

Community Service Award Presentation Rtn. Stephen Mills

Vocational Service Award Presentation Rtn. Jeff Buzza

President Address to Club Pres. Jacque Phillips OAM

Induction of 2018/19 President DGE Malcolm Kerr

Incoming President Address Pres. Stephen Mills

Introduction of 2018-19 Board

Close of Official Meeting - Fellowship

Rotary Club of Numurkah

2017 – 2018 Board Members

President Jacque Phillips OAM

President Elect Stephen Mills

Past President John Watson AM

Secretary Phil Meagher

Treasurer Adrian Connolly

Club Administration Phil Meagher

Public Relations Lou Hamon OAM

Foundation Julie Andrew

Membership Kate Hodge

Service Projects & Community Service Stephen Mills

International Service Julie Andrew

Vocational Jeff Buzza

New Generations Linda Boyd

ROTARY CLUB OF NUMURKAH

BOARD MEMBERS 2018 – 2019

President Stephen Mills

Immediate Past President Jacque Phillips OAM

President Elect Lorraine Greenwood

Secretary Jennifer Rodger

Treasurer Jeff Buzza

Rotary Foundation Julie Andrew

Vocational Service John Watson AM

Public Relations Lou Hamon OAM

Membership Kate Hodge

Service Project Grant Deppeler

New Generations Lorraine Greenwood

Club Administration Jennifer Rogers

OTHER ROLES

Attendance Ernest Jones

Catering Co-ordinators Geoff Holmes

Gary Phillips

Bulletin Lou Hamon OAM

Fellowship Judy Newman

Sergeant John Watson AM

Welcome Officer Bill Hewson

Program Frank Malcolm

Presidents Report

Thank you, members and Friends of Rotary, for making this year such a rewarding one. Special

thanks to the Board Members for your support and work you have done throughout the year.

When I sat down to write this report I reflected on what we have achieved together. The

commitment and hard work by all members is what makes this club a success and a leader in

our community. Thank you all for your continued passion for volunteering and sharing your

individual and shared skills and knowledge with others. Now two questions: Have we had fun

and have we made a difference?

With that in mind I would like to touch upon a few of our clubs activities over the last year:

International Service: considerable achievement has been made through a trip to Umoja

Orphanage in Kenya with three members travelling and working there to make improvements

to the farm and provide some basic health care. This was followed by a visit and dinner to raise

funding to continue supporting this organisation. Club fundraising and individual donations

have supported this project.

Advent Calendar: committed by the club as a project that required significant investment of

time and energy. A small committee developed and led this fundraising effort and were capably

supported by many Rotarians in the lead up to Christmas to sell the calendar. Local business

strongly supported the calendar through generous sponsorship and support of the local

community to shop locally saw this as a significant fund raiser for the club this year. Some

members consistently manned the selling tables and sold calendars in a variety of locations and

in the main street, not only was it a wonderful financial result but the camaraderie, and a

Rotary presence in the community, was an added bonus.

Barbeques: the barbeques are a great source of funds for our club. A great team effort and

committed members are instrumental in running them like a well-oiled machine. There is a

great variety of events that showcase our club whilst providing nourishment and hydration.

Membership: we have gained 7 new Members and 6 Friends this year which is a wonderful

result considering many clubs are struggling with member recruitment and retention. Kate

Hodge and club members have been tireless in their efforts to achieve this great result.

We are always disappointed when members are not able to continue but we sincerely thank

those who have left over the last 12 months and trust their time with our club has been

rewarding and fulfilling.

Public Relations: Lou Hamon has continued to monitor and update our web page and also

maintains our presence on Facebook. Our regular presence in the local media continues to raise

our profile. The PR committee have widely used social media this year to promote activities

and advertise events and the results have been very rewarding. We are all convinced of the

value of all of these current approaches to having a presence in the community.

Youth: We have a number of young people who have been involved and supported by our club

this year. We have seen and heard how they have enthusiastically involved themselves in the

community and taken advantage of every opportunity that has come their way from debating,

sport, school, arts, youth exchange and speaking at our weekly meetings. We have all enjoyed

their company and look forward to seeing them give back through Rotary and the broader

community.

Encouraging local youth is also a big part of our club and we have supported local school

Community Awards, National Youth Science Forum and RYPEN.

The Annual Art Show is a highlight of our annual calendar and is known as a key event each

year. 2018 was another successful year for the show. Entries have been growing along with

sales of art and craft. We are committed to continue our investment in the event. Once again,

we saw a great effort by the committee, their partners and volunteers who support this event.

Fellowship: Judy Newman took on the role this year and her enthusiasm to ensure we celebrate

member and partner milestones provides a sense of fun each week. Many other opportunities

for fellowship broadens our friendships and interests as we participate in weekly meetings and

other events and activities.

60th Anniversary: This celebration was a night to remember. Every club member supported

and worked hard to make it a success and it was a fantastic event on our calendar. It was

wonderful to celebrate Seig Seiter’s 50th anniversary with

an inaugural Club Service award and Paul Harris Fellow for

his wife Betty. Congratulations.

Community Projects: Stephen Mills has worked tirelessly

over the last 12 months and you can see a list of

achievements and projects in this report. His efforts and

those of his committee showcase our club and provide such

a great benefit to our community. Partnering with other

organisations has also seen great success with joined up

efforts to support a number of local events and activities.

In closing I would like to particularly thank Phil Meagher

as secretary who has capably provided me with assistance

and advice to ensure I was well prepared for

anything! and Adrian Connolly (and his wife

Janine) as treasurer who has ensured the clubs

finances have been well managed.

Finally, I hand the President’s Rotary Collar over

to Stephen Mills and wish him and the club all

the best for his time as President. It will be

another great year for the Rotary Club of

Numurkah.

Jacque Phillips OAM - President

Attendance Report

The average weekly attendance of Rotarians from 3 July, 2017 to 4 June, 2018 was 73%.

There were twelve (12) meetings in which the club attendance exceeded 80%.

Considering the relaxation of attendance requirements, the overall meeting attendance for the

year was very pleasing.

The following Rotarians only missed three (3) dinner meetings over the twelve month period –

Gary Phillips, June Hewson, and Bill Hewson.

In addition to meeting attendance all Rotarians were actively involved in a diverse range of

service projects and fund raising activities for worthy local community and international

causes.

PP Ernest Jones – Attendance Officer

38th Annual Art & Craft Exhibition

A high-quality show is how the art judge described the 38th Annual Art & Craft Exhibition

staged by the Rotary Club of Numurkah in the Numurkah Town Hall over the weekend 9th to

12th March.

In welcoming those attending the official opening on Friday night, president of the Rotary Club

Jacque Phillips said “The Art & Craft Show brings together the community giving us the

opportunity to appreciate art and craft created by artists from near and far”.

Susannah Sheed MP officially opened the exhibition stating “The value of art to community

cannot be understated. It can entertain us, challenge us, it can move us, it can inspire us. It is a

record of who we are at a point in time, and – often – it is a signal of who we want to be”.

Art judge Ted Dansey selected Ross Paterson’s “Summer Morning – Sheans Creek” as The

Best in Show.

Runner Up was “Trash and Treasure” by Barbara Beasley-Southgate from Lilydale.

Best Watercolour was awarded to “Bonding” by Joel Magpayo from Delahey.

Best Oil was “Violin Romance” by Lorraine Lewitzka from Victor Harbour.

Best Pastel “The Lilypond” by Nancy Thurlby from Glen Iris.

Best Pencil “Seated Nude” by Richard Stork from Baranduda.

Best Regional Artist Glenda Cornell from Kyabram.

Moira Art & Culture Inc. Encouragement Award was “Couleur Rougeoyante en R’esine” by

Janet Tett.

Craft Judge Claire Reid commented on the variety of entries making a great display.

The exhibition was very successful with 46 paintings sold, up 10 on last year, with good

attendances with many positive comments and feedback during the weekend.

Attendance over the weekend was approximately 100 with 56% from Numurkah, 12% from

other Moira Shire towns, 15% from Shepparton, 7% Regional Victoria, 10% Melbourne.

Special thanks to committee members who worked tirelessly to bring the exhibition to fruition.

Entry secretaries Kate Hodge, Julie Andrew, Fiona Seager, Jennifer Routley, Margaret Canobie

and Pam Brennan, Terry Brennan sponsorship, Sue Fisher treasurer, Linda Watson floral

displays and Gary Phillips catering deserve special mention.

Thanks to the support of club members and partners for their full support.

For the sixth consecutive year the Art & Craft Exhibition has raised over $10,000 for club

disbursements, this year’s amount was

$14,000.

PP Lou Hamon OAM

Chairman, Art & Craft Committee.

Public Relations Report

Thanks to the Numurkah Leader for their valuable support, as the Rotary Club has enjoyed

considerable success in having press releases, stories, articles, reports and photos published

throughout the year, all publicising our activities to the community.

Our website www.numurkahrotary.org provides a wonderful window of our club to the public,

where office-bearers, up-coming events, stories on activities and a photo album section full of

photos depicts the club in action. Annual reports and the weekly bulletin can also be viewed by

the public. The stories on the home page are updated weekly.

All our club members have internet access and thus the internet is the logical choice for

communication to our members.

A practical hands-on session was held at the Numurkah Community Learning Centre in May. It

was an evening of exploration and discovery unlocking the potential of our website and the use

of Club Runner, which was well received.

Unfortunately, not all members are diligent in reading their emails, this may be for several

reasons, lack of time or not comfortable with the Internet.

Members please read your emails and the weekly bulletin; it is how the club communicates

with you.

Members have also, through the website, access to a wonderful resource including the club

directory of our membership and member’s profiles, and the ability to email to all or some of

our members. It is pleasing to see more and more members avail themselves of this email

service.

The website is used for tracking attendances, and can give a snapshot of the club membership

by gender, age, length of service etc.

The weekly bulletin is emailed to each member, reporting on the weekly meeting, and advising

of coming events and member’s responsibilities.

A Facebook page with weekly posts can be viewed.

The number of page “likes” is growing, and each

post receives “likes”.

This is another medium in which our club presents

itself favourably to the public.

PP Lou Hamon OAM

PR Director/Webmaster/Bulletin editor.

Community Service Report

Under the leadership of Club President, Jacque Phillips there has been a strong emphasis on

community service. Many guest speakers giving us a broader perspective and understanding of

what it means to be community. Some of those guest speakers to challenge us were;

- Julia Arho Community Grants Manager for the Bendigo Bank.

- Louis Cook Numurkah and District Historical Society.

- Denise Robertson Parkinson’s Support Group.

- Pip Cowan on his return from the Mississippi Blues Festival

- Our own Squish Davis on depression.

- Hayley Napier, exercise physiologist on making our community fitter.

- Louisa Li, dietician on making our community healthier.

- Lauren Harris on her return from alternate schoolies, what a story.

- Julie Brooks and Suzanne Vile` on the NDIS at the combined services dinner.

- John Taylor on wills, Powers of Attorney and other legal issues.

- Phil Ashton on gardening and community welfare.

- James Miller an up and coming high jumper, how high will he go?

- Peter Sprunt & Kerry Cursons on the Numurkah flood plan options.

- Gary & Barbara Duke on a different way of doing community service.

- Neville Atkinson on indigenous community issues.

Throughout the year the Rotary Club of Numurkah has been involved in many community

issues many of these we raised funds for, supported them or highlighted them to our

community, issues like;

- Support for the Ugandan Youth Choir on their visit to Numurkah.

- Support for GV community cars and volunteer drivers.

- Community support for Umoja Children’s Home.

- 3 of our members were a part of Umoja work team in Kenya in September 2017.

- Numurkah hosted Umoja manager Patrick and Cathy Booth for a major dinner attended by

130 Rotarians and friends.

- The Rotary Club of Numurkah celebrated 60 years of community service at a club dinner

in October 2017.

- We took a year off from the car raffle as a community service fund raiser to focus on the

Advent Calendar.

- We supported the Christmas Community Carols by running a BBQ.

- We supported the Australia Day awards by cooking the breakfast and our P.P. Lou Hamon

was again MC for the awards ceremony.

- We have joined with the RSL and the Historical Society to have better community

ownership and input to the soldier settlement project.

- We again joined with Numurkah RSL for a ride to Rushworth to promote mental health

issues.

- We helped the RSL by cooking breakfast after the dawn service on Anzac Day and many

Rotarians marched in the Anzac March later in the morning.

- We helped the Rotary Club of Nathalia with their Show and Shine car show; a couple of

our Rotarians even showed their skills by judging.

- The combined community service projects with Lions and other community organisations

were both very well attended., with a significant increase in numbers on previous years.

- We helped the fire brigade with the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

- Rotary helps with the community BBQ 2 nights a month in Newman Square.

- Rotary held a working bee to clean up the community garden at Numurkah Secondary

College.

- We finished the year with a real highlight, by partnering with the Numurkah District

Health Service, Moira Shire Council and the Royal Flying Doctor Service “over the farm

gate project” to deliver a sensational men’s health night. Heath Black, Jacqui and Sonia

Strachan were the guest speakers. You could have heard a pin drop during the entire

duration of Heath’s talk as he exposed the culture inside our AFL clubs. There were nearly

200 men present and around 20 health professionals to give us men a picture of our health

and how we can look after ourselves.

As we were reminded so eloquently by P.P. Terry Brennan at the combined services dinner in

May, Rotary is all about volunteering and community service. We as Rotarians should ensure

we give all community people the opportunity to participate in community service.

Stephen Mills

Community Service Director

Membership

Membership of the Rotary Club has been steadily increasing during the 2017-2018 Rotary

Year. The Club is thrilled to welcome 7 new members (Sally, Ross, Chris, Rex, Judy, Kay and

Marie) bringing the total membership to a healthy 40 members.

All the new members have been enthusiastically and regularly attending weekly meetings,

enjoying the fellowship, the variety of interesting guest speakers and helping at Rotary events.

Having extra hands on deck has been fabulous this year and their commitment, vibrancy and

enthusiasm is very much appreciated. Recently there has been a review of the “Method of

Electing New Members” process and the clarification has been accepted by the Board.

This year a new initiative has been introduced to welcome community members as Friends of

Rotary. Our friends are interested in supporting Rotary events but not obliged to attend weekly

meetings, although very welcome to do so. Whilst not ready for the full Rotary commitment,

we hope that they will become full members in the near future, or as soon as time permits.

Friends of Rotary are formally inducted at a meeting. This year we have had the pleasure of

inducting 6 Friends (Greg, Cindy, Alannah, Kris, Helen and Jane). We thank them for their

attendance, interest and support at Club meetings and events. A blue and yellow Friends of

Rotary shirt has been designed and available for purchase if desired.

Three members (Dianne, Peter and Sue) have resigned for personal reasons. We sincerely

thank them for their contribution to our club and wish them well.

Steve McKewen, our District Membership Chair, gave an enjoyable and informative

presentation on how to retain current members and attract new members. His clear message

was that meetings must be FUN! A survey was completed by members at the Club meeting and

the results were generally very positive. Most members look forward to the weekly meetings,

enjoy the varied guest speakers and fellowship, get involved in community, district and

international projects and events and feel that our Club is well known and respected in our

local community.

In summary, our Club is vibrant and healthy with all 40 members, both new and existing

contributing significantly. Club members participate in Rotary at local, district, national and

international levels and I thank all members for being so generous with their time and

friendship.

PP Kate Hodge

(Membership Chair)

New Generations – Youth Service

My year as the Numurkah New Generations Representative for our club is nearing its end and I

am left to reminisce over the year that was.

I have been privileged to experience the mechanisms of Rotary at another level. The

organisation behind and underpinning the success each year of RYLA, the Portsea Camp,

RYPEN, the National Youth Science Forum, the Ian Murphy Debating Competition, Rotaract

and Rotary Youth Exchange.

Rotary offers a vast array of opportunity to the youth of its community.

This year Numurkah Rotary Club supported 2 young adults to attend RYLA (Rotary Youth

Leadership Award), they were Laura Hodge and Timothy Connolly. Their experience, quote

from Laura, “Took them to the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows”, but as a result,

Laura has since joined a Rotaract Club where she lives and is actively involved in following

the object of; Rotary empowering young people to lead.

Thanks to the support of Jason and Julie Andrew’s, we were fortunate to become involved in

the Ian Murphy Debate through a very talented team of debaters from St Marys Nathalia

Secondary College. The Team won all of their rounds to the Grand Final, which took place at

District Conference in Yarrawonga. The Team lost but the experience gained from this event is

immense in skill development, confidence and character building.

The National Science Forum entices Year 11 students each year to apply for this avidly

anticipated opportunity. The criteria to attend the forum are demanding and unfortunately not

all entrants are accepted. As a club we will continue to support our interested science gurus

develop their minds and their future.

The Portsea Camp is held annually and allows Primary aged children to experience a holiday

camp by the sea. For some children this was their first holiday, for others it was the first time

that they had seen the ocean. Our club sponsored 3 of the 23 children to attend this camp. The

testimonials from the parents of the children, who attended the camp, were humbling and

gratifying.

The organizational work behind the scenes for this camp to be

so successful is truly amazing and as one very happy young

camper summarised,” It was AWESOME”.

I hand the reigns over to our next New Generations

representative wishing them well and knowing that the Rotary

Club of Numurkah will continue in its endeavour to support

the young adults of its community.

Linda Boyd

Director New Generations

2018 Rotary Environmental and Heritage Trip

This year was the 13th annual Numurkah Rotary 4WD trip to the Victorian Alps which was

held on the weekend 13th to 15th April. After meeting at Porepunkah on Friday morning in fine

sunny weather, an enthusiastic group of 34 people including 7 Rotarians and their partners

travelled to Wandiligong on the Mongrel Creek track and up along the Nolan Creek track

where great views of Mt Feathertop were available. From there we turned onto Demon Ridge

track before descending down the Camp Creek track to the camp site, a large clearing beside

the just flowing creek. Those towing camper trailers made their way directly to the camp site

via the Buckland Valley road. There was some concern the previous day about a bushfire in the

Buffalo River area but when we checked on Friday morning it proved to be of no danger.

With the help of many willing volunteers we quickly setup the camp site and prepared the

evening meal with Geoff ensuring the steak was cooked to order (perfection) with his digital

thermometer. Around the campfire that night this year’s new participants were quickly

acquainted with the regular supporters of our previous trips.

On Saturday a drive was organised going via Paddy Hill track (very steep on the map) to the

top of the ridge which overlooked the Buckland Valley on one side and the Ovens Valley on

the other. With rain threatening we continued on via the Link track to the Albion track. It was

now starting to rain so the drive was cut short and we decided to head back to camp for a late

lunch.

We then came across smoke and a small fire beside the track which appeared to have started

from a lighting strike. With the help of shovels we managed to control the fire.

Our trip was cut short due to the onset of rain and we returned to camp and were welcomed

back at camp by Faye’s famous homemade pumpkin soup.

After putting up some temporary shelters we were able to prepare the evenings roast dinner as

the rain continued into the evening, and curtailed the gathering around the campfire that night.

The next day we woke up to a clear sky and after a breakfast of porridge, eggs, bacon, tomatoes

and toast we were able to pack up without delay. But before departing we were able to present

David Geddes an enlarged photo Joan had taken of him attending to the campfire on a previous

camp.

The 4WD drive weekend this year raised

$3,400 for the club, with the ladies of Rotary

making a major contribution with the catering

arrangements. It is an event which is

supported by a many regular people who look

forward to this annual trip and who’s

participation make it such a success.

PP Ivan Routley

International Service

Umoja

September 2017 three Rotarians travelled to Umoja Orphanage in Kenya for three weeks to

continue the work and meet eleven children who have been taken in by the Children’s Home.

Whilst over there $2,000 was given to the project to build an enlarged shade house to enable

more vegetable crops to be grown over the dry summer months.

Since returning we have hosted an Umoja Dinner with guest speakers Patrick Kea (Umoja

Manager) and Cathy Booth (Umoja Founder) which raised money for Umoja.

Stephen and Kate have been in the local media and speaking at local clubs about Umoja and

great interest has been shown in this project.

Polio Plus

Rotary at an international level and its partners are very close to eradicating Polio worldwide.

Polio is now 99.9% eliminated. Building awareness and becoming an advocate are two ways

we can keep striving for the target of 100% Polio free.

Paul Harris Fellow

On the 60th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Numurkah, member Sieg Seiter’s wife Betty

was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow for 50 years of service to the club. They were both very

surprised and delighted.

Rotarians Against Malaria

April 30th is World Malaria Day and this year we hosted Jenny Parer from the Rotary Club of

Holbrook who gave us an informative talk about this great cause.

Money from the night’s fine session and personal donations were donated to RAMS. Local

schools were contacted to give the children an awareness to the world’s malarial problem and

what can be done to help eradicate this disease.

Julie Andrew

International Director

Vocational Service

In accordance with Rotary’s idea of vocational service this year the club has continued on with

activities that demonstrate and educate members in the concept of vocational service.

Each week the Chairman for the meeting presents to the club a three minute talk on their

business and what may be happening in their particular vocation. This allows all members to

gain an insight into what happens in particular vocations and industries.

At most meetings the club enjoys the presentation of a guest speaker. The speakers are drawn

from a wide range including presentations on various professions or developments in the area.

This allows the club to discover what is involved in various fields of endeavour and also in

some cases how their vocation may help on existing projects or encourage them to commence

an appropriate project. The club president always closes our meetings with the four way test

that reminds us of our ethical responsibilities in our particular vocation.

This year’s Jack Duncan Memorial Vocational Service Award went to Paul Tozer for his work

at the Numurkah Secondary College. Paul was selected due to his excellent leadership and

development of the college as well as his encouragement of the College to engage with the

community.

This year the club again visited the Katunga Fresh site and were shown around by the owners

providing valuable insights into the operation of the business. The visit was well received by

the club with most members as well as partners attending.

Two awards were presented at final assembly 2017 to Year 11 students at Numurkah

Secondary College to encourage them in their further studies and local primary schools each

received $100 for individual student achievement awards.

Jeff Buzza

Vocational Services Director

Rotary Club of Numurkah Inc. 2017-18

Disbursements

Numurkah Rotary Club

For the year ended 31st May 2018

Disbursements during the year ($)

PAL’s Disability Support 1,700

Alternative Schoolies 1,000

Lift the Lid Disbursement 200

PTSD Project 836

Shelter Box 1,000

Numurkah Primary School Leadership Program 450

Numurkah Primary School Awards 900

Numurkah RSL ANZAC Day 310

Numurkah Secondary School Awards 500

Plan Child Sponsorship 459

Portsea Camp 7,521

Polio Plus Donations 670

Umoja 1,100

Umoja Orphanage 2,000

Links Fiji 6,000

Ventures Scout Project 500

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards 2,000

Australian Rotary Health 1,250

Sponsor High Jump Student 1,000

Share the Dignity 1,000

Men’s Health Night 1,000

Cancer Council in name Alby Barton 1,000

Baulkamaugh Scout Jamboree 500

DG Partners Project Dementia Australia 1,000

Foundation (Polio Plus) 1,000

Rotary Against Malaria 1,000

Men’s Shed 1,000

NDHS Personal Support packs 2,000

Total Disbursements During the Year 38,896